Shh, Just Go With It
by sarahserenity6296
Summary: Caroline Forbes isn't the kind of girl that wallows in self pity after getting dumped. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else? Sounds good until her one night stand with Tyler Lockwood becomes so much more than just that. ON HIATUS
1. Shameless

**Longer Summary: **Caroline Forbes isn't the kind of girl that gets dumped and when she does, she certainly isn't the kind that sits around and wallows in her own self pity. So when high school sweetheart Matt Donovan dumps her, her and her two best friends go to a club in search for a "healthy distraction" for her. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, right? Sounds good until she meets Tyler Lockwood, who turns out to be a werewolf and so much more than a one night stand. AU. Forwood

**AN: **I just couldn't help myself. With the show being off for a few months, I'm in serious withdrawal. This is going to be very, very different from my other Forwood fic "Dirty Little Secret" so you won't be seeing very many similarities.

Just to give you an idea of the setting, Caroline, Bonnie, Elena and Matt go to Duke University. Caroline met Bonnie and Elena in her freshman year there. Damon and Stefan aren't vampires, Bonnie isn't a witch and Elena isn't a doppelganger.

I hope you enjoy it and make sure to tell me what you think. (:

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><p><strong>Shh. Just Go With It.<strong>

**Chapter 1: **Shameless

"_The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else." -Gossip Girl_

Caroline Forbes stared into long time boyfriend Matt Donovan's baby blue eyes, her heart swelling. He was going to propose to her. She just knew it. It was just like one of those horribly cheesy, totally sweet movies. She and Matt had been dating since their junior year in high school and now in their junior year of college, they're still going strong. They had been the all American couple in high school, her being the head cheerleader and him being the quarterback. They'd been friends since their diaper days and she knew long before they started dating they would someday get married. And here they were, years and years later, sitting on a park bench in Durham, North Carolina, about to take their relationship a step further.

She was close to yelling "yes," even without him asking. She'd been waiting most of her life for this moment. Could anyone blame her for being a little impatient?

"Caroline," he said, slowly, looking a little nervous, but completely decided.

"Yes?" she asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

"I've been waiting for the right moment to do this, but I just can't wait any longer," he said.

"This is the right moment," she said, encouragingly. Hell, _any_ moment would be the right moment. "Go ahead."

He nodded and sat up a little straighter. _Oh my gosh! _She thought, joyfully. _He's about to get down on one knee!_

"Caroline, I'm breaking up with you."

She stared at him, her eyes going wide. What did he just say? Her heart thumped unevenly in her chest and her eyes began to sting. Did he really just say he was breaking up with her? No, she must have heard him wrong. Matt couldn't be breaking up with her. They were _perfect_ for each other. They were suppose to graduate and get married and have a couple of blonde haired, blue eyed babies. They were suppose to spend the rest of their lives together.

"W-what?" she asked, shocked.

"Look, Care," he said, guilt shining in his eyes, "The last few years together have been great and all, but-"

"But what?" she interrupted, her anger flaring. "The last time I checked, we were perfect for each other. So what's changed?"

"That's exactly it, Caroline," he said, his eyebrows furrowing. "We're just too… perfect with each other."

"I don't understand," she said.

"Its just… we've been together for so long and you were my first girlfriend, so this- us- its all I've known," he explained, like this was all suppose to make sense to her.

"What's wrong with us?" she asked. Her voice sounded hurt, even to her.

"I don't know," he admitted. "When we first started dating back in high school, everything was so new and fun. We were never bored with each other."

"But now you're bored with me?" she asked, her temper flaring again. She was Caroline freaking Forbes! She was fun and upbeat and certainly _not_ boring.

"Honestly, I don't know. Like I said, when we first got together, everything was so fun. We spontaneous and unpredictable but now, we're not. Its like all the passion has left our relationship. We know what to expect. We've gotten too comfortable with each other."

She stared at him, incredulously. "So last night wasn't passion?" she asked, looking at him pointedly.

He winced, looking guilty. "I shouldn't of… last night was a mistake."

_Ouch_, she thought. That had quite literally been a slap in the face. She stood up, knowing if she stayed any longer she was going to lose it. She'd be damned if she cried in front of him. He stood up too and reached out his hand, reaching for hers. She recoiled. "Don't even," she warned.

"Caroline please," he said. "I don't want it to end like this."

"Yeah, obviously you do, Matt," she argued. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be ending it like this."

"I don't want there to be bad feelings toward each other," he said, genuinely. "We can still be friends."

She scoffed. "No we can't."

"We can't, or you won't let us be?"

"Both."

"Care-"

"Just stop Matt," she said. "Just stop. You want out, guess what? You're out. You're free."

"But-"

"I'm going to Elena and Bonnie's for the night," she said, already wanting to be in the comfort of her two best friends. "By the time I get back tomorrow, I want all your stuff out of my apartment and you're key."

He sighed. "Okay."

She only made in a few steps before he called, "Caroline?"

She stopped, but didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry."

She brought in a shaking breath, fighting back tears and began walking to Bonnie and Elena's apartment, just a few short minutes away.

* * *

><p>"What a dick!" Elena said, handing Caroline a bottle of vodka, to which she took gratefully. She took a nice swig, the liquid burning her throat on the way down. "I can't believe he actually said he didn't want there to be bad feelings between you two!"<p>

"Yeah me either," Caroline agreed.

"I can't even believe it," Bonnie said, shaking her head. "I mean, you two were like… the perfect couple. In the two years I've known you guys, I've never even heard you fight."

Caroline took another swig from the bottle. What Matt said echoed in her head. _We've gotten too comfortable with each other. _Was that true? Were they together so long things just became dull and normal? Did all the passion really leave their relationship? She didn't know.

"Maybe this is a blessing in disguise," Elena said, the eternal optimist. "Maybe you and Matt just weren't right for each other."

"I don't know," Caroline said. "I mean, I thought we were but…."

"People change Care," Elena said, softly. "Maybe once upon a time you and Matt were the perfect couple, but you two aren't in high school anymore. Things have changed and you two have grown up. Even from freshman year two years ago, I can tell a difference."

"Be honest," Caroline said. "Did you two notice things going down hill?"

Bonnie and Elena exchanged a look, confirming her suspicions.

Caroline groaned and dropped her head onto the pillow in her lap.

"Hey," Bonniesaid, pulling Caroline back up. "We didn't know you two in high school so we don't know what your relationship was like back then. All we knew was what we first met when we started college."

"But from then to now, did you notice things changing?" Caroline asked, not overlooking how Bonnie had avoided the question the first time she asked it.

"Yes," Elena admitted. "We did, but you know what? Screw Matt Donovan. You are Caroline Forbes. You're hot and young and fun. You don't need to be with someone who doesn't appreciates you."

"Elena's right, Care," Bonnie said, giving the blonde a smile. "You deserve better than him."

"You know what?" Caroline said, having a mini epiphany. "You're right. I am not going to sit here and cry over a guy who is too stupid to see how amazing I am."

"Damn straight," Elena said, smiling wickedly. "You know what you need?"

"What?"

"A healthy distraction," Bonnie said, the same wicked smile lightning up her face.

Caroline looked between her two best friends, a bad feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

…

"Let me get this straight," Caroline said, doubtfully, standing in front of Elena's closet in between the two girls. "You're going to dress me up like a slut, take me to a club and I'm suppose to hook up with some guy I've never met before? That's your idea of a _healthy_ distraction?"

"Yes," Elena said, confidently. "But you aren't going to look like a slut. You're going to look hot. And as for the hooking up part… the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else right?"

Caroline stared at the brunette like she was insane, which she kind of was. In the few years that Caroline had known Elena, she was still getting surprised by some of things she did. When she thought she knew absolutely everything about the girl, she'd get surprised with something else. "Who in the hell told you that?" Caroline asked.

Elena shrugged. "Damon," she explained. She was referring to Damon Salvatore, a senior at their college and her boyfriend. He was in every definition, a player. At least he was until he met Elena last year when he transferred in from some college in Virginia. She had "fallen in love" with him right away, but the feeling wasn't mutual. At least, not at first. Apparently Damon had dated some girl named Katherine for a really long time, but she turned out to be a cheating skank and hooked up with his little brother Stefan, which was why he transferred. It was all very dramatic from what Caroline heard and had left Damon with a bad taste in his mouth when it came down to relationships. But after awhile, he and Elena started dating. They fought constantly and didn't agree on a single thing, but they loved each other more than any two people she'd ever met. They were in every sense of the phrase madly in love.

Caroline turned to Bonnie, waiting for her to disagree with Elena's plan. Bonnie was the level headed one in the group. She was the one that told them when they were about to do something really stupid and stop them. Bonnie was the most responsible twenty one year old she'd ever met.

"She's kinda of right," Bonnie said, shrugging. "You don't have to hook up with anyone tonight, of course. That's not what we're saying. We're saying that you can if you want to. For the first time in a really long time, you're single. You are free to do whatever or _whoever_ you want."

Caroline bit her lip, still not sure. Did she really want to hook up with some guy she didn't know anything about? What if he was a murderer, or worse, had a STD? Knowing her luck, he probably would and she would become infested with some horrible- ugh, she didn't even want to think about it.

"You know what I think?" Elena asked."Do I really want to know?"

"I think that starting such a serious relationship so young has tamed a part of you," Elena said.

Caroline sighed, knowing Elena was right. Back in high school, Caroline was a party girl. She wasn't scared to do or say anything. She had changed, but she always said that it was because she was growing up and maturing. Maybe Elena was right and Matt had tamed a part of her. She didn't like the idea of that.

"You know what? You two are totally right. Tonight, I'm throwing out all common sense and I'm going to have some much needed fun."

Bonnie and Elena squealed, enveloping Caroline in a hug.

"You are going to look so hot!" Elena exclaimed, beginning to look through her closest for the perfect dress for Caroline to wear. Bonnie and Caroline both joined in on the search and after a good hour of trying things on, they decided on what she was going to wear.

It was a tight fitting black dress with a deep v neck, ruched details and jewel insets down the front. It hit her a little above her mid thigh an hugged her in all the right places. They paired it with three inch black heels, silver hoops and silver bangles. It was way to cold outside for it, but it looked great.

"You look a-freaking-mazing," Elena said. "You have to keep the dress. It never looked that good on me."

Caroline looked herself over in the mirror. She did look pretty hot. Actually she looked amazing. She promised herself in that moment that she wasn't going to let a boy change who she was ever again. She was Caroline Forbes: wild, neurotic, bossy, slightly controlling and fun. And if someone couldn't accept her for that, screw them.

"We'll curl your hair and do your make up if you want," Bonnie said, looking so excited Caroline couldn't possibly say no.

"Sounds great," Caroline said, smiling at herself in the mirror.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, they were walking into a club named Sub Zero. Caroline thought it was totally stupid and cliché sounding, but hey, who cared? She was just here to have a good time.<p>

The moment she walked into the club she realized why they called in Sub Zero. It was cold as hell and Caroline began shivering the second she stepped in.

"Its cold as hell in here!" she complained to Bonnie and Elena, who were also in little dresses. Elena didn't look cold but Bonnie was shivering as bad as Caroline was.

Bonnie was wearing a red strapless dress with black heels, her hair as straight as a stick and flowing down her back. Elena looked just as amazing in a flowy bright green dress and stiletto heels. Her hair was curled and halfway down her back. Elena was probably the most gorgeous girl she'd ever met. And Caroline knew for a fact she didn't even try. Elena looked beautiful in sweats with her hair in a bun and not a stitch of makeup on. She used to be incredibly jealous of this, but had quickly gotten over it. Despite Elena's weird plans and even weirder advice, she was a genuinely sweet girl.

Caroline had no idea how she survived all of her life without these two.

"Find someone to dance with!" Elena yelled over the music blaring out of the speakers. It was one of those horribly annoying dance songs that had no real meaning and was about getting drunk and spending money. Caroline personally hated music like that, much more preferring artists like John Mayor and Barcelona, but it worked for the club scene.

"You'll be sweating in no time!" Elena added, winking at her before disappearing to go find Damon, who she had invited.

Caroline laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm gonna go dance!" Bonnie yelled. "Want to come?"

"No, I'm going to go get a drink!" Caroline yelled back.

"'Kay!"

She watched Bonnie disappear in the crowd of people before making her way to the bar, pushing through person after person, avoiding getting a drink spilt on her. After a close encounter with an extremely drunk, lanky guy, she finally reached the bar, blowing out a breath of relief. She sat on an empty stool, rubbing her arms, trying to rub away the goose bumps.

"What can I get you?" the extremely sexy bartender asked. He had short brown hair, pale blue eyes and a nice tan.

"Something strong," Caroline said. She knew she would need some liquid confidence.

He smiled, revealing two rows of perfect teeth and nodded. "I think I've got something for you." He turned and began walking away.

"Make it a double!" Caroline yelled, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear her over the music. To her surprise, he turned around and gave her a thumbs up.

She looked around, twirling a curl on her index finger. She couldn't see Elena or Bonnie anywhere in the crowd of people dancing, so she would stay put for awhile. She remembered the first time she ever went to a club and laughed. It was back in high school in her senior year and she and Matt had snuck in. By the end of the night, she was out of her mind drunk (as was Matt) and she had to call her mom (who was the sheriff) and ask for a ride home. She'd never seen her mom so mad before.

She cursed out loud when she realized that she was thinking about Matt and looked impatiently for that sexy bartender. She _really_ needed a drink. Or five.

After what felt like a long time, she saw him carrying two shot glasses of a neon green liquid. "Here ya go," he said, setting them down in front of her. "This will make you forget _all_ your problems."

"What the hell is it?" she asked, picking up the suspicious green glass of liquid and looking at it.

"Just a little special concoction I made up," he said.

"What's in it?" she asked, sniffing it. She smelled vodka and something else. Apple maybe?

He laughed. "Just drink it. It'll make you feel better. At least until morning."

She eyed it a few more seconds before shrugging and downing it. She nearly choked it all back up. "Jesus Christ!" she yelled. "My tongue is on fire!"

He smiled widely. "Good right?"

"It tastes like battery acid," she said.

He rolled his blue eyes but his smile never faltered. "Drink the other one," he said. "It gets better."

She was doubtful, but downed the other one too. He was right. It burnt less and she could vaguely taste apple. She ordered two more and closed her eyes, swaying slightly to the music. She already felt a little buzzed and she knew a few more of those on top of the vodka she drank before coming would do her in.

The bartender returned and set two more shot glasses in front of her. "Thanks," she said, smiling widely. She picked one up and downed it.

"I need your keys," the bartender said, holding out his hands.

"Already?"

"Two more of those and you are officially too drunk to drive."

"I didn't drive," she said, picking up the other glass.

He gave her a pointed look. "You sure?"

"Well, I did drive but I won't be driving," she said. Elena was the designated driver tonight and Caroline had given her the keys before they went inside. Elena always drank, but she never seemed to actually get drunk. Elena explained to her that she had a high tolerance. "I don't have the keys."

She expected him to argue but he didn't. Instead he nodded and said, "Alright."

She drank it and smiled happily, sitting the glass down on the bar. The bar suddenly became a lot more interesting and she stared at it, not even realizing someone was suddenly standing almost directly beside her. At least not until the bartender said, "Tyler! I didn't think you were going to make it!"

She glanced to the side. Who she assumed was Tyler was standing behind the stool next to her. He was fairly tall, at least 5'7 or 5'8 and had the build of someone who worked out on a daily basis. He had dark, dark brown hair that stuck up and looked soft to the touch. His strong, muscular jaw line gave him somewhat of a "tough guy" look, but his long, thick eyelashes framing his brown eyes also gave him a softer, gentler look. He was completely gorgeous.

"Come on, Jesse," he said, smiling widely. His teeth were just as perfect as the bartender's- Jesse's. "Like I'd pass up a chance to get free drinks."

She imagined Jesse rolling his eyes, but she couldn't take her eyes off of Tyler, who hadn't even noticed her yet- much to her dismay.

"Sorry, Ty," Jesse said. "You still gotta pay."

"Damn," Tyler said, sitting down in the stool beside her. "It was worth a shot right?"

Tyler finally seemed to notice Caroline sitting beside him and he glanced down, locking eyes with her. His eyes were a deep, chocolately brown and his lashes were even longer and thicker up close. It was almost ashamed having such gorgeous eyelashes wasted on a boy. He stared at her for a few seconds, somewhat of an awed expression on his face before smiling.

"Tyler Lockwood," he said, holding out his hand.

"Caroline Forbes," she said, reaching for his hand. It was warm and smooth, sending a little jolt of electricity through her. She cocked her head to the side. "Lockwood… I've heard that name before."

His smile faltered for a second before returning. "My dad is the mayor of a town in Virginia. Mystic Falls. That's probably where you heard it."

She nodded. "I think that's it." She realized she was still holding his hands. Feeling a blush come on, she let go, though she really didn't want to.

He looked down at the shot glass in front of her. "Rough day?" he asked, a sympathetic look on his face.

She laughed. "You could say that," she said. She bit her lip in a flirting manner. "But it's starting to look up."

A devious smile lit up his face, causing her heart to flutter. "Caroline, are you flirting with me?"

She cocked her head to the side, feeling light and warm, like floating in the clouds. God, she must've been drunk. Sober Caroline Forbes would never have thought that. "Let's see," she said, slowly, like she was trying to figure out a math problem. "I'm drunk and you're awfully cute, so yes, I am flirting with you."

He leaned forward a little more and she caught a whiff of him. He smelled amazing, like earth and summer. She wondered if it was cologne or his natural smell. It was intoxicating. "You're awfully cute too." His voice caressed something deep inside her and she shuddered, a whole different kind of goose bumps breaking out on her skin.

"Dance with me," she said, suddenly, grabbing his hand and wrapping her fingers around his.

Somewhere in the distance, she heard Jesse laugh. "Tyler doesn't-"

"Okay," he said, standing up and pulling her down too.

She stumbled a little bit. He wrapped his arm around her waist to balance her and fire erupted on her skin where they touched. They made there way to the dance floor, blending in with the crowd. She learned very quickly why Jesse had laughed when Caroline asked Tyler to dance.

"You're a horrible dancer!" she said, grinning widely at him.

He smiled, not looking embarrassed in the least. "Sorry!" he said. "But you asked me to dance. How could I refuse?"

She pressed her back again him, her arms going around his neck. She looked up, only able to see his jaw. "Its okay," she said, feeling like she was on fire, but in the best way possible. "I'm too drunk to care!"

They danced for a little while longer before Caroline decided what she wanted to do. She raised up on her tippy toes and said, "Let's get of here!"

He looked at her, surprise- but no hesitance- evident in his eyes. "You sure?"

She'd never been so sure in her life. Sure, she didn't like to think of herself as the kind of girl that hooked up with guys she didn't know, but what the hell? She was single, drunk and Tyler made her forget about all her problems. If she was having a one night stand with anyone tonight, it was going to be him. "Yes!"

He nodded and they pushed past the crowd of people, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. Caroline saw Bonnie and Elena a few feet away. They did a double take when Caroline gave them a wink and nodded in the direction of Tyler. Bonnie gave her a thumbs up and Elena just stared at her, her mouth hanging open.

Caroline laughed. Tonight was going to be fun.

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><p>I apologize if any of the characters are a little OOC. This is how I think they would be if the whole vampirecurse thing didn't happen.

Review!


	2. Lovesick Mistake

**Shh. Just Go With It.**

**Chapter 2: **Lovesick Mistake

"_Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it." -Thomas Jefferson_

God, her head hurt. It was the throbbing pain that came with being extremely hung over. It was a slow, steady pain that increased with each beat of her heart as it tried to pump blood through her dehydrated body and made her stomach roll, threatening to spill everything she had put into it last night.

She cursed Jesse and the drinks he had given her as she cracked open her eyelids, which each felt about three hundred pounds. Low light was streaming in through dark curtains, barely lightning the large room. She took a second to allow her eyes to adjust before opening them all the way and looking around.

She was in a guy's room; she knew that immediately. Everything was done in grays and blues and blacks. The walls were white and had posters and pictures on them. There was a large TV in front of her, surrounded by tons and tons of DVDS. Beside the TV she saw something resembling black twisted metal. After staring at it for a moment she figured out it was a CD stand, which was filled top to bottom with cases. To the right, two floor to ceiling windows were covered in thick, dark curtains. To her left was a chair and a two other doors. Beside the bed on the left was another door. She assumed one was for a bathroom, the other a closet and the last, the exit.

For just a second, panic welled up inside her because she didn't recognize the room at all. She wasn't at her apartment. She wasn't at Matt's and she certainly wasn't at Elena and Bonnie's. There was nothing familiar about this room.

Well, _one_ thing was.

To the right of her, by the windows, was her little black dress.

And then it all came back to her. She was at Tyler Lockwood's house. She remembered being at that club and meeting him. They'd danced and then they were leaving. She'd said she wanted to go to his place. She hadn't wanted to- god-forbid- run into Matt at hers. So he'd driven her to his house, which wasn't huge, but still hinted that he had money. She hadn't seen any other cars in the driveway last night, but that didn't mean someone else didn't live here. They hadn't done much talking last night, but she could tell he wasn't much older than she was. It would be a lot harder to own a house by himself. Then again, she did remember him saying he was a mayor's son. Maybe daddy bought it for him.

Speaking of said one night stand, Caroline wondered where he was, because he wasn't in the room with her. She listened for a moment for any sound indicating he was in the bathroom, or the house even, but heard nothing. The only noise was birds chirping outside.

She frowned, feeling a little hurt. And then she felt angry at herself for being a little hurt. For Christ's sake, Tyler was a _one night stand_. She should be rolling around in joy that he wasn't around. That way she could get dress and leave.

As she thought this, something hit her. She had absolutely no idea where she was. At least, not geographically. She knew she was in Tyler's house, but she had no idea where Tyler's house actually was. She'd been so out of it last night, she couldn't begin to remember the roads he had taken, or any signs they may have passed to get here. Quite frankly, she couldn't remember anything.

She didn't know whether it was because she was beyond hung over, or just scared out of her mind, but the burning sensation in her stomach rose until she tasted those drinks again. She clamped a hand over her mouth and jumped out of bed, desperately trying to keep it all in. Having no idea what door was to the bathroom, she ran to one and threw it open, praying it was the bathroom. Someone was watching out for her today, because it was the bathroom. She dropped down on her knees in front of the toilet, vowing she would never, ever, _ever_ drink again.

Coming up, the drinks tasted just as bad as the first one she drank, a mixture of apple and battery acid. After her stomach was inside the toilet, she flushed it and laid her head against the cool tile floor, waiting for the room to stop spinning. She had no idea how long she laid there, her head pounding and her heart racing, before finally deciding to sit up. She couldn't just lay here for hours, waiting for her hang over to pass or Tyler to come home.

She'd do a little snooping in hopes of finding out where she was, then she'd call a taxi or Elena or someone to come and pick her up. Problem solved. She wondered if she should leave some kind of note for Tyler… no, that was dumb. What would she say? _Thanks for a great night and I fervently I hope I never see you again! _No, just no.

She cracked open the door and peaked out. She could see a staircase, three others doors and a large window. She paused to listen, thinking that maybe Tyler had retuned. When she heard nothing, she ambled out of his room and down the hall, looking at the pictures as she went. They were mostly decorative pictures, like you would find in a typical guy's house. There was a small table that had a few photos. One was of Tyler and Jesse, arms around each other shoulder while the other hand held up a beer. They were both cheesing like crazy. Another one was of Tyler and a exceedingly handsome guy with curly brown hair and blue eyes, which were filled with mischief. He reminded Caroline of Damon… the looks… the cockiness… the smirk. There were a few more of another guy and then two girls, but Caroline didn't linger too long. She needed to go.

She peaked downstairs, seeing a living room with a black leather couch, large TV, a smaller black chair, a glass coffee table, a bookshelf and a palm tree in the corner. She laughed because _really_? A palm tree? Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, she turned and saw a hallway leading in to what she assumed was the kitchen. From where she was, she could see a black table and out the window, beyond that, a patio with a black grill and a table. Jeez, did the guy not ever hear of some color? Rolling her eyes, she walked into the kitchen.

And nearly had a stroke. Because standing at the counter, with a muffin half in his mouth, low, _low_ gray sweatpants hanging on his hips and no shirt on, was the brown haired, blued hottie she'd seen in the picture. The one with the cocky attitude and mischievous grin.

"Who are you?" she asked.

He pulled the muffin out of his mouth and looked over his shoulder, like there might be someone behind him she was talking to. He turned back around, an eyebrow raised. "Who are _you_?" he asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest and for the first time realized what she was wearing: Tyler's t-shirt from last night. It_ barely _covered her modesty. "I asked you first," she said, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.

He looked like he wasn't sure whether to be annoyed, confused or amused. He combined the three in one look: a slight smile on his lips, one eyebrow raised and an incredulous glint to his eyes. "Well," he said slowly, like she was mental, "I'm Jace and I _live_ here."

Well that explained how Tyler could afford a house like this. This guy- Jace- must have been extremely quite or either she was just plain deaf. How had she not have heard him at all last night or this morning? Maybe he had just gotten here? No, that didn't make sense. Why would he come home in pajamas, not to mention his hair looked like it had been slept on. She couldn't help but notice his _very_ sculpted body. He was probably 5'10 and somewhat lanky, but he had muscles. Impressive ones at that. However, no as impressive as Tyler's.

"Oh," she said, wishing a hole would open up in the white tile floor so she could jump in it. Anything to save her from _this_ embarrassment. "I'm Caroline. I'm Tyler's…" She trailed off because she wasn't about to say she was Tyler's one night stand. Even though she, well, was.

The annoyance and confusion seeped out of his ocean blue eyes, leaving amusement. Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. She could already tell they weren't going to get along. At least, for the short amount of time they would have to. "And you're the one whose been puking up their guts for the last hour, I'm assuming?"

Her narrowed eyes turned to slits. "In wasn't an hour actually and- wait, how did you know I was throwing up?"

"You weren't exactly quiet about it," he said. He wrinkled his nose suddenly. "And from the smell of it, I'm gonna guess you were drinking Shameless last night."

She raised an eyebrow. "Shameless?"

"You know, the green drink at Sub Zero's," he explained. "Tastes like battery acid, then apple?"

"Its called Shameless," she said, her voice flat.

"Yup," he said, popping the "p."

_Well, _she thought, huffing. _Irony is just a bitch isn't it?_

"Where am I?" she asked, suddenly wanting nothing more than to leave this godforsaken house.

He smirked. "Oh yeah, you definitely drank Shameless last night," he said.

She narrowed her eyes impossibly more as a response.

He raised his hands out in front of him, surrendering. "Sorry, Barbie," he said. "I didn't mean to inconvenience you in, you know, _my_ house."

"Where's Tyler?" she asked in the coldest, bitchiest voice she could manage.

"I don't know," he said, picking up his muffin and rolling his eyes. "I'm not his keeper."

"Well, as fun as company as you are," Caroline said, sarcastically, "I think I'll leave now. Later Jackass."

He smirked again. "Its Jace."

"Yeah, whatever," she said, rolling her eyes.

He narrowed his blue eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but a new voice interrupted him.

"Ahh, I see you've met Jace."

Tyler came in, looking _not_ hung over, balancing two cups of what she thought was coffee and a bag in his hands.

"Unfortunately," Caroline said, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

Tyler smiled, apologetically. "Sorry, I went to get breakfast."

How… sweet? She pegged him for the kind of guy that didn't stick around to cuddle, not the kind that got up to buy breakfast. She wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or curse her luck for choosing someone who didn't more or less boot her out after the deed was done.

He held out a cup to her. "Here you go."

She took it, giving him a small smile. "Thanks," she said, the smell making her mouth water.

"And I got the perfect hang over food too," he said, sitting the bag down on the counter and beginning to open it.

"Thank you, really," Caroline said, setting the coffee back down on the counter. "But I should probably be going."

"Come on," Tyler said, looking like he was awfully close to pouting. "I got breakfast."

"I'm sorry," she said, feeling somewhat guilty. "But I really need to go."

"Well, that's that," Jace said, shrugging. "Bye, Barbie!"

Caroline rolled her eyes but otherwise ignored him. Tyler shot him a look. Jace raised his hands in response and said, "Fine, fine. I'm going." With that, he turned and went out the door and onto the patio, closing the door behind him.

Cue awkward silence.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" he asked after a few seconds.

"I really need to get home," she lied. With a quick glance at the clock on the stove, she added, "I'm suppose to meet someone at one."

"Oh," he said, frowning. "Well… do you want me to drive you somewhere?"

"No, that's fine," she said. "I'll just grab a taxi."

He rolled his brown eyes. "You don't have to pay for a taxi. I can just give you a ride."

She resisted the urge to sigh loudly. She couldn't believe she was arguing with him. "I know, but its not necessary."

He pursued his lips. "Fine," he said, but before she could sigh in relief, he added, "But under one condition."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

"Coffee date," he said, simply. "Tomorrow."

"Oh, can't," she said, feeling amused and annoyed at the same time. "I'm busy."

He smiled, like she was simply playing hard to get and he knew he was going to win in the end. "The day after that."

"I'm kinda booked all week," she lied. "I'm a very busy girl."

He huffed out a breath. "Now you're just lying."

"How's this?" she asked. "You call me a cab and if I see you again, I'll agree to a coffee date." She highly doubted she would ever see him again (she was avoiding Sub Zero at all costs now), so who cared?

"And if I don't?" he asked doubtfully.

She shrugged. "Then I'll guess you'll just always remember me as that amazing blonde girl you hooked up with one night."

"I don't like this deal," he said, frowning.

"Sorry," she said. "Take it or leave it."

He sighed. "Okay, deal."

She smiled in response. "Then I'll just be headed upstairs to get dressed."

Not waiting for a response, she sauntered down the hall and up the stairs. She took off his shirt and laid it down on the bed, swapping it with her dress. She decided to go to the bathroom, partly because she knew she looked horrible and partly because she didn't want to talk to Tyler anymore. He seemed sweet enough, but she wasn't looking for anything more with him.

She was right about looking horrible. What was left of her makeup was smeared and she had bags underneath her eyes. Her hair was a complete mess, sticking up in different directions. She quickly combed her fingers through her hair, trying to tame it. She turned on the faucet and waited for it to turn hot before splashing the water on her face, wiping away the last of the makeup. She spotted a thing of mouth wash and happily took a swig of it. Going back into the room, she grabbed her heels and then made her way back downstairs.

Tyler was sitting on the couch, drinking his coffee and holding another one in his hands. He held it out to her. "Here, take it."

She walked forward and took it. "Thanks."

He nodded. "Taxi's on the way. It should be here any minute."

"Okay," she said. "Thanks… again."

His lips lifted up into a smile. She didn't know why, but the smile made her uncomfortable, like he had a secret and was just dying for her to figure it out. Before she could say anything, he stood up and started towards the stairs. "I'll be right back."

She raised an eyebrow and sat down on the couch, taking a sip of the coffee. It wasn't as sweet as she usually liked it, but she'd deal.

She saw the taxi from the window and glanced up the stairs, though no sign of Tyler. Well, she certainly wasn't waiting. She made her way to the door.

"Wait," he said, suddenly bounding down the stairs. "Here, take this!"

He held out his t-shirt.

"Why?"

"Because," he said, giving her that smile again. "I want you to have a reminder. But when we see each other, I want it back."

She rolled her eyes but took it anyways. His loss. "I hope you didn't like this shirt too much."

"Oh I like it," he said.

She shrugged, opening up the door. "Your loss."

He shook his head, grinning. "Nah, I don't think so."

"Bye, Tyler."

"See you soon Care."

He watched her the whole way to the car. She could feel his eyes on her back, but she ignored it. Soon, she'd forget all about Tyler Lockwood and his wicked grin and chocolately brown eyes. She might just keep his shirt though. It _was_ pretty comfortable.

* * *

><p>"Oh, man, you are in trou-<em>ble<em>," Jace said as soon as Tyler closed the door.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Am not."

"_That_," he said, pointing to the taxi pulling away, "is not a girl that wants a relationship."

"Stay out of it," Tyler said, giving his friend an easy, playful punch on the shoulder. "Its all under control."

Jace scoffed. "You and I both know you don't have it under control."

"Whatever," Tyler said.

"I just don't want to be the one dealing with your mopey ass for the next… ever."

"I won't be needing to mope."

"Uhuh."

"You're gonna be eating your words pretty soon," Tyler warned.

Jace laughed. "We'll see. Barbie doesn't seem like the understanding type."

Tyler frowned. "Its Caroline."

Jace simply laughed in response.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: Wow, I'm glad you guys like it! Thank you to those who reviewed (:

So when I was writing Jace, this is who I thought of:

http:/24(dot)media(dot)tumblr(dot)com/tumblr_li6tvybpMQ1qdsbkoo1_400(dot)jpg

Replace the (dot) with a .

For those of you Eragon fans, yes, this is Ed Speleers. I swear, he looks so much better as a brunette. :D

Review(;


	3. Ashes and Wine

**Shh. Just Go With It.**

**Chapter 3: **Ashes and Wine

"_No matter who broke your heart or how long it takes to heal, you'll never get through it without your friends." -Carrie, Sex And The City_

Caroline wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or depressed when she walked into her apartment at twelve twenty to see all of Matt's things gone. It shouldn't have been such a surprise; she told him to make sure all of his things were gone. She should be happy. This was what she wanted. But still, it felt like a huge slap in the face to see her request met.

_Suck it up, Caroline! He dumped you. Get over it._

Yeah, easier said than done. It was one thing having the person you love dump you and you tell them to get all of their crap out of your apartment, but it was another to actually see everything gone. It was like it made it final.

She couldn't believe she and Matt were really over. Dead. Done. Five years down the drain. All the confidence she had gotten from her epiphany of deserving someone who was worthy of her last night was gone, leaving her feeling sad and alone.

_And_ her head still hurt.

She sighed and threw Tyler's shirt on her bed before walking in the direction of the bathroom, her head pounding in sync with each step she took. _Bang_…_bang_… _bang_.

She ignored the fact that Matt's blue toothbrush wasn't in the toothbrush holder beside her pink one. As she slipped off her dress from last night, she overlooked the fact that his old football shirt from Freshman year wasn't hanging over the towel rack like it had been for the last two weeks - something she yelled at him constantly for. And after she turned on the hot water and reached for two towels, she ignored his missing cologne - the kind that she used to secretly spray her clothes with before leaving his apartment before he moved in with her, so she could still smell him, even when he wasn't with her.

She sighed as the hot water hit her cold skin and chased all the goose bumps away. She stood there for a few minutes… or maybe more than a few minutes, just enjoying the water and breathing in the steam before reaching for her shampoo bottle.

She felt a pang in her chest when she didn't see Matt's.

And this time, she couldn't ignore it. This time, she didn't want to. Maybe she needed to grieve. No, he hadn't died, but she'd still lost him all the same. She couldn't pretend like she hadn't. Matt had always been a huge part of her life, whether it was as a friend or so much more. Hooking up with a random guy at a bar like a slut wasn't going to make her feel better. Now that she wasn't drunk, it made her feel cheap and embarrassed. That wasn't her. And it wouldn't happen again.

And with that, she cried.

* * *

><p>After her meltdown in the shower, she put on her baggiest sweatpants, largest sweatshirt and thickest socks and plopped down on the couch, ready to watch sad movies and drown in her tears. Who would have thought Caroline would be so pathetic after getting dumped? Certainly not her.<p>

But nonetheless, there she was, sitting on the couch and crying as she tortured herself with _P.S. I Love You. _She was just to the part where Holly finds out she just slept with Gerry's old band mate when there was a knock on the door. She paused the movie, cursing and praying it wasn't Matt coming back to get anything he forgot. What would he think about her looking like this? So terrible, so pathetic? Maybe she was, but she didn't want anyone to _see_ her like that.

She raised up on her tippy toes, peaking out of the peep hole. If it was Matt- or almost anyone else for that matter- she would simply ignore it and pretend not to be home. And if whoever was at the door saw her car, well, then they should get the message.

Elena and Bonnie were on the otherwise of the door. Elena had a bottle of wine in her hand and a slightly impatient/anxious look on her face, like she really, really needed to tell Caroline something and she just wasn't moving fast enough. Bonnie looked relaxed, happy even.

Caroline didn't think twice about unlocking the lock and opening the door. These two girls were her best friends. If anyone was going to see her like this, it would be them. Caroline had seen Elena cry her eyes out- the only time she'd seen the girl not look amazing- when Damon had made it clear to her he didn't want a relationship and she'd seen Bonnie cry over some douche bag guy she'd dated in their freshman year when she found out the loser had been cheating on her their entire relationship. Back in Oakton, Virginia- Caroline's and Matt's home town- she'd had tons of friends, but none of them even compared to Elena and Bonnie now.

"Oh, my gosh Caroline-" Bonnie began but cut off when she looked at Caroline.

Elena's eyes widened and for a second she looked almost scared, like she was afraid something happened to her. "Caroline what's wrong?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.

Caroline sniffled. "All of Matt's thing are gone."

Giving her sympathetic looks, they came in and pulled her to the couch, sitting on either side of her in a tight sandwich-like position.

"Oh, honey," Elena said, looking between the TV screen and Caroline. "_P.S. I Love You_? Are you trying to torture yourself?"

Caroline sniffled again. "Maybe."

"We know it sucks," Bonnie said, squeezing her hand comfortingly, "and it hurts, but _that_ isn't going to help."

"Neither is hooking up with some guy at a bar," Caroline snapped.

Bonnie bit her lip, not sure what to say. Elena pursued her lips and then, "How did that go, by the way? We saw you leave but…." She was going for nonchalance, but Caroline knew her well enough to hear the question mark at the end of that sentence.

"Yes, I slept with him," Caroline said, something inside her twisting as she said the words.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked.

"I went back to his house, did the deed and then I woke up and went home," Caroline said. _Okay_, so maybe she was leaving out a few details.

"That's it?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow.

Why, oh why, did the brunette have to be so damn observant?

"Well, I woke up and he was gone so I went downstairs and met his douche bag roommate" she explained, her eyes narrowing just at the mention of Jace, "and we argued and then he came back with breakfast. _Then_ I left."

"Who was he?" Bonnie asked. "Does he go to school with us?"

Caroline shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. She'd never seen Tyler around Duke, but it was a pretty big school. "And his name is Tyler."

"So he bought you breakfast?" Bonnie asked.

"And coffee." What did it matter what Tyler bought her?

"At least he was nice," Bonnie said. "He could have been, like, a total jerk."

"That would have been _better_," Caroline complained. "He was… nice, _sweet_ even. He tried to get me to stay and then when I said I couldn't, he offered to drive me home."

"Wait," Bonnie said, slowly. "Why's that a bad thing?"

"Because, _hello_," Caroline said, "he was a one night stand, remember? He wasn't suppose to be a nice guy, who bought me breakfast and offered to drive me home."

"I don't get your logic," Bonnie said.

Elena, who had remained quiet throughout all of this, said, "No, I get it. He was suppose to be the kind of guy you could just forget about, not the kind that made you _not_ want to forget about him."

"Exactly," Caroline said. It was more or less what she had been trying to get at.

Bonnie huffed. "Well, was he at least good in bed?"

Caroline blushed. _Oh, my god_, she thought. After clearing her throat she said, "Yes, he was."

Silence.

And then they all three busted out in laughter. It was the kind of laughing fit that just didn't make any sense, but it didn't stop then or even slow them down. They were laughing so hard tears ran down their faces and breathing was nearly impossible.

Finally, after what could have been minutes or hours, they calmed down and were only giggling instead of laughing like they were on something.

"Oh, god, he was _so_ cocky," Caroline said, shaking her head, as she remembered him.

"How?" Bonnie asked, wiping her mascara streaked face and still giggling slightly.

"Before I left, he gave me his t-shirt and said too keep it as a memory of him."

Bonnie's eyebrows furrowed. "How does that make him cocky?"

"He told me he wanted it back when we saw each other again," Caroline explained.

"Are you planning on seeing him again?" Elena asked her.

Caroline shook her head. "_Hell_ no. If I do, I'll die from embarrassment."

"Maybe it won't be so bad if you do," Bonnie said, shrugging. "From what you said, he seems nice and he was _hot_."

She'd give him that. He was pretty good looking. Okay, that was an understatement. He was _really_ good looking. In a way, he was almost cuter than Matt. He seemed darker, more rebellious than Matt, who was often called the "Golden Boy" or the "All-American Boy" with his blonde hair, blue eyes and laid back disposition.

Despite all of this, she still didn't want to see him again. "No way," Caroline said. "I don't want to see him again. I want to push last night to the back of my mind and keep it there. Tyler was just a distraction- a one night thing."

"Are you sure he felt that way?" Elena asked, quietly.

Bonnie and Caroline both looked at her curiously, eyebrows raised. Elena had seemed… off the entire time, like something was bothering her.

"I… don't know," Caroline said, not that she had really thought about it. "You okay, Elena?"

Elena sighed. "Damon and I are fighting."

_Ah_. That always did it.

"_Again_?" Bonnie asked, exasperated. "_How_ have you two not killed each other yet?"

Elena scowled, not answering.

"What happened?" Caroline asked, glad the attention was no longer on her. Being in the center of things when she was a wreck always made her itch.

Elena sighed again. "I want to meet his family."

"And he doesn't want you to?" Caroline guessed.

"No." Elena scowled again. If she wasn't careful, her face was going to permanently look like that. "I mean, he's met my family, so why can't I meet his?"

Elena's parents lived in Mystic Falls, Virginia and her little brother Jeremy just graduated high school last year. He went to college somewhere in Florida now, if Caroline remembered correctly. They were a very white picket fence family and in all ways, normal. Her dad was a doctor and her mom was a writer. She had the coolest aunt ever, Jenna, whom Caroline met when she came home with Elena for Thanksgiving. Jenna was a little wild, a little boozy and completely hilarious. Last Caroline heard, she was engaged to the cute history teacher she was dating back then. His name was Alfred, or Alan- something old, unattractive and starting with an _a_. Caroline also met her uncle, who in all intensive purposes was an _ass. _He spent the whole dinner hinting at the time they had hooked up, trying to make it uncomfortable for Alaric and Jenna. Despite that, Caroline had an amazing time and fell in love with her family. Caroline had a work-a-holic mother and a gay, out of the picture father, so she never was part of big celebrations and family get together's. It had been nice and made Caroline like family a little bit more.

"Maybe he doesn't think you'll like his family," Bonnie said. "Maybe he feels insecure about it, because your family is so amazing and his… isn't."

Caroline didn't know much about Damon's family, but she did know that his mother was dead, his dad was an ass and his little brother slept with his girlfriend. His family seemed a little dysfunctional.

"_Please_," Elena said, crossing her arms over her chest. "The words 'insecure' and 'Damon' don't go in the same sentence. Maybe 'ass' and 'Damon', or 'stubborn' and 'Damon', or 'cocky' and-"

"Okay, we get it," Caroline said, patting Elena on the arm. "You two will work it out; you always do."

"I don't see how you two are still together," Bonnie said, bluntly. "I swear you two fight more than you don't."

Elena shrugged, looking tired. "I love him, he loves me. That's all that matters."

Bonnie sighed this time. "I need a boyfriend."

"No, you don't," Elena and Caroline said at the same time.

Bonnie didn't say anything; instead she absentmindedly ran her fingers up and down, up and down the wine bottle Elena had handed her earlier.

"What's that for?" Caroline asked, pointing to the bottle.

"It was to celebrate," Elena said, flatly. "You know, you being single and free."

"Oh."

"We could still drink it," Bonnie said, nonchalantly. "It doesn't have to be for a celebration."

They took the hint. Despite Caroline's still present hangover, she took a glass and downed it before pouring another. They sat on the couch, talking and drinking until finally Bonnie said, "I want a Carmel Macchiato. Let's go to Starbucks!"

Starbucks did sound good right about now. "Just let me get dressed," Caroline said. She stood up and glanced at Elena. "Are you okay to drive?"

Elena rolled her eyes- an answer enough.

She sauntered off to her room, feeling a little better- whether it was because of the wine or her best friends, she wasn't sure. She ignored the t-shirt on her bed and went to her closet, changing into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She wiped her face, put on just enough make up to not look terrible and smoothed her blonde hair back into a ponytail.

She walked back out into the living room, where Bonnie was fixing herself up in the mirror and Elena was frowning, probably still thinking about Damon.

"Let's go," Caroline said, grabbing them both and pulling them out the door.

* * *

><p>For once, Starbucks wasn't crowded and Bonnie and Caroline set at a table in the corner while Elena ordered their drinks. Bonnie and Caroline weren't buzzed, but were feeling slightly giddy from the wine, so Elena had decided to order for them. They would most likely start giggling and embarrass themselves. Elena really was a saint.<p>

"I want a Damon," Bonnie said, watching Elena as she gave her orders to the gangly, lanky looking boy with braces and bleach blonde hair.

Caroline nearly choked. "You want a Damon?" she asked. "What does that even mean?"

"You see how they look at each other," Bonnie said. "They are totaling, one hundred percent, head over heels in love with each other."

"They fight all the time," Caroline pointed out.

"Yeah, but they always make up," Bonnie said. "Have you seen the way those two look at each other? Even when they fight, they look at each other like they are the best thing that ever happened to one another. I want that."

She was right. Even when they fought, they were still the center of each other's worlds. If it wasn't so damn sweet, it would be sickening and annoying.

"You'll find that one day, Bon," Caroline said, patting the girl on the hand. She wasn't sure if it was a lie or not. She thought she had that kind of love with Matt, but look how that turned out.

Elena walked over to them then, carrying three cups. "Alright," she said, passing the cups out. "One Carmel Macchiato, one Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino and one Iced Coffee with milk for me."

She sat down and they all took sips of their drinks, thinking.

"I think I'm going to swear off of boys," Caroline said after a few minutes of silence. "At least for awhile. I'll just focus on school and myself."

"You, Caroline Forbes," Bonnie said, raising her drink up in the air, "are a smarter girl than I am."

Caroline and Elena both raised their cups in the air. "To the new and improved Caroline Forbes," Caroline said. "Who will not let boys cloud her judgment, steal her heart, only to break it."

They hit their cups against each other's.

"Well, well, well," a horrifyingly familiar voice said. "Look who it is."

Caroline looked up slowly, like in a horror movie where the female protagonist turns around, knowing the killer is right behind her.

Tyler Lockwood, wearing a white t-shirt, jeans and a smug smile, was standing beside their table.

When she looked at him, his smile grew wider. "I told you I'd see you again soon."

_Oh, Jesus. _

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I wanted Elena to be more like how she was described to be before her parents died- fun, upbeat, cheerful- so I decided to let them live. Not to mention, since Stefan and Damon aren't vampires, technically, Elena would have died in that car crash. Anyways, thank you all for the feedback! Its amazing; you're amazing! I know last chapter was very, very cryptic and I'll warn you, I'm going to continue to be very, very cryptic. I'm sure someone will figure it out though, even though I think I'm being very sneaky.

Review!


	4. A Small, Small World

**Shh, Just Go With It**

**Chapter 4**: A Small, Small World

"_Perhaps one has to be very old before one learns to be amused rather than shocked." -Robert Browning_

Okay, so she hadn't expected to ever see Tyler Lockwood again, let alone see him mere hours after leaving his house in a very walk of shame manner. So, it was expected of her to look at him with her mouth open and a "duh!" expression on her face. She had every reason in the world to feel shocked.

His smile grew impossibly wide at her shocked expression. _What a jerk_. "What?" he asked. "Are you not happy to see me?"

Hell no she wasn't happy to see him! Was he crazy? "Umm," she said, finally able to form at least somewhat of a coherent thought. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was walking down the street and I saw you in here, so I had to come in and collect," he explained.

"Collect what?" she asked, suspiciously.

An amused expression settled on his face and he tsked her. "Did you already forget our deal?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

If she wasn't suddenly drowning in her own horror, she would have found that expression very, very cute. The deal. The stupid, stupid deal _she_ created just hours earlier and he had agreed to. If they were to see each other again, she would go on a coffee date with him. What the _hell_ had she been thinking? Oh, right. She hadn't! All she had thought about was she wanted to get out of there and making up some stupid deal would allow that to happen faster.

She could just slap herself.

"Caroline?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, the deal. No, I haven't forgotten," she said, smoothly taking a sip of her drink.

"Good," he said. "Because I wasn't going to let you get out of it."

She heard someone clear their throat, saving her from answering. Elena and Bonnie were staring at her-Bonnie with a bemused expression on her face and eyebrows raised, and Elena with an unreadable expression on her face.

"This is Tyler," she said. "Tyler, this is Bonnie and-"

"Elena," he said, looking surprised as he finally seemed to notice the brunette.

She gave him a small, awkward smile. "Hey, Tyler."

Caroline raised an eyebrow at their encounter. "Um, do you two know each other?" she asked, looking between the two.

Elena tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and nodded. "Tyler and I went to high school together."

"We grew up together," Tyler added.

The light bulb in her head went off with an audible click. Last night at the bar, Tyler said his dad was the mayor of Mystic Falls. Elena grew up in Mystic Falls. It was a small town, so of course they would know each other. How had she overlooked that?

"Right," Caroline. "You did say your dad was the mayor of Mystic Falls."

Just like the night before, his smile slipped at the mention of his dad, before returning. "I did."

Awkward silence.

Caroline being herself, didn't like awkward silences, so she had to fill it. "So, um, were you two friends?"

"Not really," Elena said at the same time Tyler said, "Sort of."

They looked at each other. Tyler looked amused while Elena looked annoyed. "Tyler was a year ahead of me, so we had a different group of friends, but we did spend some time together."

"I played football and she was a cheerleader, so we had to do a lot of fundraisers and stuff together," Tyler explained.

"Oh," Caroline said.

"So anyways," Tyler said. "That coffee date."

"Listen, Tyler, about that-"

"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "A deal's a deal. You can't get out of it that easily."

Damn it. She in no way wanted to have a coffee date with him, but he didn't seem like the type who accepted no as an answer. "Is there any way I can get out of it?" she asked, in vain hope.

Something very, very close to hurt passed through his eyes and she instantly felt bad. But come _on_, he didn't know the first thing about her. Why did he even want to take her out? It was just her luck to be with a guy who didn't want what most guys wanted: no strings attached.

He quickly recovered and smiled. "No way, you're not getting out of it."

"Fine," she said, feeling her headache coming back. She pulled a pen out of her purse and held out her hand. "I'll give you my number and you can call me tomorrow so we can set this up."

He gave her a triumph grin and placed his hand in hers. "I'll see you soon, Care," he said, looking so pleased she almost smiled. Almost. He turned to Elena and Bonnie, who were watching them with eyebrows raised and heads cocked. "Bonnie, nice to meet you. Elena, good to see you again."

They chorused goodbyes and he disappeared out the door. She watched him walk down the sidewalk until he was out of site. Then she turned to Elena. "Why didn't you tell me you knew him?" she asked, her voice rising an octave.

"You didn't say his last name," Elena said. "How was I suppose to know you were talking about Tyler _Lockwood_?"

"You saw me leave with him last night!"

"It was dark, so I couldn't make out his face all that well. And I was _drunk_."

_Unlikely_, Caroline thought. She ran her hands over her face. "Oh, my god."

"Come on, Care," Bonnie said. "He is _cute_. Maybe the date will be fun."

"I can't believe I actually gave him my number," Caroline said, more to herself than to her friends. She turned to Elena. "Be honest, how much trouble am I in?"

She hesitated. "Tyler is…."

"Oh, god," Caroline said, groaning.

"Look, he's persistent and a little egotistical sometimes, but he isn't a bad guy," Elena said.

"Maybe I'll just ignore his phone calls," Caroline said. "I won't pick up any unknown numbers."

"Ever?" Bonnie asked. "Come on, Care. He seems nice. One date with him won't kill you. And it's a _coffee_ date. That's like, not even a real date. That's what two friends do to hang out and catch up."

"But we're not friends and I don't know him; therefore, we have nothing to catch up on."

Bonnie shrugged. "Do whatever you want, but he seemed like he really wanted you to go out with him."

Caroline groaned, dropping her head into her hands.

* * *

><p>Shortly after Tyler made his appearance, Elena, Bonnie and Caroline left and returned to her apartment. Everything was how she left it, but it all felt different. They asked Caroline if she wanted them to stay with her for awhile, but she declined, saying she felt better now, not sure whether it was a lie or not. She did feel better, but not okay just yet. They accepted her answer, though clearly knowing she wasn't okay, and left.<p>

When the door closed, she stared at the wood for a few minutes, wondering what she was going to do. She did have a quiz to study for, but she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the material.

She heard a high beep and jumped, her hand flying to her heart before realizing it was just her phone, telling her she had a new voicemail. She searched around the living room for it, listening for a beep and finally found it wedged between the couch cushions. She dialed her voicemail and entered her password, listening for the message.

"_Hey, Caroline, it's Matt."_

Her eyes went wide and her mouth popped open in a little _o_.

"_Look, I know you probably hate me, and I don't blame you, but…."_

She rolled her eyes as she listened to the silence, waiting for him to speak. Matt always had problems with finding the right words to say. She used to think it was cute; now it just annoyed her.

"_I just don't want things to end with you hating me. And I-"_

She hit the "7" button, deleting the message before she heard the rest. Matt had been a part of her for her entire life and in five minutes, he had painfully removed himself from her life. That was his choice- his decision. Like the old saying: he made his bed; now he has to lay in it.

Shaking her head, she went to her room and pulled out a thick textbook from her bag. She sat on her bed, ignoring the t-shirt, and turned to the chapter she had a quiz on tomorrow. This stuff might have bored her to death, but at least she wasn't thinking about Matt _or_ Tyler and she was doing something productive.

Win, win.

* * *

><p>Elena sat snuggled up with her boyfriend Damon on the couch in his sleek, dark house, watching (or rather, <em>not<em> watching) a movie. She barely heard the gunshots blasting from the TV as the protagonists fought to save their lives and return home from where ever they were. She was a little preoccupied with kissing him. She groaned into his mouth and he lowered her down onto the couch, clearly stating what he wanted.

She smiled against his lips and tugged his black t-shirt over his head. She threw the shirt down onto the floor and ran her hands over his toned stomach and chest.

Just as he pulled her shirt off, revealing her black bra, her cell phone rang. Normally, she would ignore it, much rather doing this, but something in her stomach told her to check it. It was late and no one would normally be calling at this hour.

"Ignore it," Damon said, his voice husky. Usually that voice would send her head spinning, but again, her stomach told her to check it.

She rolled out from underneath him, nearly forgetting who she was when his warm hand brushed her bare stomach, sending a whole other kind of goose bumps across her skin. She almost said to hell with her instincts, but the shrill of her phone put her back in her right mind. "Damon," she warned. It sounded half hearted, even to her.

"Come on, Elena," he practically whined. "Let it go to voicemail."

She sighed, cursing under her breath and reaching for the phone. Damon groaned and rolled over, pressing his face into the cushion.

She was about to lie and say pouting wasn't attractive, but she noticed the caller ID and forgot.

She cursed, much louder this time and sat up. "What?" she answered, snippily.

Damon sat up, curious as to who it was. She generally wasn't so rude.

"_Is that how you always answer your phone?"_

"Nope," she answered. "Now, what do you want, Tyler?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. Damon didn't like Tyler, for understandable reasons. One being, he loved to call Elena at the most inconvenient times.

"_Come on, you know_," he said.

She did know. "Nope, no idea what you're talking about."

"_You're so difficult_," he said, huffing.

"And you're needy," she said, only half joking. "Again: what do you want?"

He sighed, like talking to her was physically draining him of all energy. "_Caroline_."

Even though she already knew this, she couldn't help the irritated little noise that escaped her lips. Why, oh why, did she have to be drug into this? "Tyler, did you really have to-"

"_Just help me please_," he cut off.

She pursued her lips, pretending to think about an answer she already had. Finally, she said, "Nope. No way."

"_Oh, come on, Elena_," he whined. It wasn't cute on him like it was on Damon. And it certainly wasn't to get him his way like it did Damon.

"No, Tyler."

"_But she's your friend and_-"

"Absolutely not."

He sighed. "_You owe me_." His tone was flat, but she could tell he didn't want to say it. But damn it, he was Tyler Lockwood and he always, _always_ got his way. The spoiled little-

"Fine," she practically growled. "But I swear to god on my _life_, if you hurt her in anyway, I will rip off your favorite body part and shove it down your throat."

Damon chuckled, shoving his face in the pillow so Tyler wouldn't hear. He lifted his hand, giving her a thumbs up, though.

She hoped her threat ruffled his feathers.

"_Give me a little credit, Elena_," Tyler said, sounding half afraid and half annoyed.

"Fine," she said. "I'll help. But you should know I don't want to."

"_I know_."

"And you're a dick."

He sighed. "_I know_.

"And I hate you." Okay, that wasn't completely true, but whatever.

"_Okay_," he said, huffing again. "_Thank you. You're amazing_."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said, ready to get back to what she was doing before Tyler called. "I'm the next Gandhi. Whatever. Just remember what I said."

"_I will. Elena_?"

"Huh?"

"_I owe you_." The line went dead.

A wicked smile tugged on her lips. Oh, how she liked the sound of that.

Damon raised his head from the pillow and said, "You are so not the next Gandhi."

She tangled her hands in his raven hair and pulled his head to hers. "I know," she breathed into his mouth.

And they picked up right where they left off.

* * *

><p><em>AN:_ Thank you to all of those who have alerted, reviewed, favorited, etc! You guys rock! So, why do you think Elena owes Tyler?

Review!


	5. Author's Note 2

**Hey everyone - yes I know, another dreaded Author's Note. **

**My computer is fixed and obviously I haven't updated in a while, which I'm super sorry about. Between writer's block, my other stories, school starting back soon, and writing something of my own, inspiration is just not coming for this story. I am in NO WAY quitting this, because I do have somewhat of a plot figured out. It's more like I'm on hiatus for a bit. I think as soon as I get a little farther into Dirty Little Secret, I will find the inspiration to this, but for now, I'm basically brain dead. **

**I am so sorry for the continuous delays of updates and thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read/review. You guys have no idea how much it means to me, so with that said, I will update as soon as possible.**

**I hope you will still stick by the story.**

**-Sarah**


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